Daniel Defert, who shared Foucault’s life for over twenty years, is today in possession of all the notes and manuscripts the philosopher left at the time of his death. Heavy heritage that bears the mark of the Forbidden: Foucault, who would often repeat to the people close to him: “Do not play on me the trick Max Brod played on Kafka”, had indeed made sure to state on his will: “No posthumous publication”. Yet, two important in-progress publications have been carried out since his death in June 1984: first the collection Dits et Écrits, which brings together articles, interviews, and conferences given by the author, along with the progressive publication of all the lectures he gave at the Collège de France starting from 1970 and up to his death. Secondly, two substantial projects, that were not self-evident in the first place, and for which Daniel Defert has been associated in many respects. It is about this delicate problem – the question of the intimacy of a memory that must be respected combined with the possible advertisement of the previously unpublished part of a considerable work – that we decided to question him.

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Reblogged this on Progressive Geographies and commented:
Foucault News links to the important 2010 interview with Daniel Defert about the Foucault manuscripts. Things have moved on since this interview, but still fascinating reading.